COFFEE BREAK 109

+ updated at 7:29pm EST

+ The Word or God's Plan is a major theme of the scriptures for this Sunday.  I found some great wisdom offered by Bishop Tutu:

• God works through history to realize God’s dream. God makes a proposal to each of us and hopes our response will move His dream forward. But if we don’t, God does not abandon the goal, He doesn’t abandon the dream. (Page122, God Has a Dream). (found at  http://www.upepiscopal.org/Hiawathaland/Hiawathaland%20Feb%202007.4.pdf)
• I have a favourite book of cartoons by the late Mel Calman of the London Observer newspaper entitled, “My God”. One shows God somewhat nonplussed and saying, “Oh dear, I think I have lost my copy of the Divine Plan!” Looking at the state of the world we might be forgiven for wondering if God ever had a plan at all. There are devastating floods in one part and destructive droughts in other parts. Couldn’t God have organised things better so that there was enough water for all? Then there are all the man-made disasters of tyranny and oppression, an endless doleful catalogue of woe. There are the long lines of bedraggled refugees from natural and man-made disasters. We have the casualties of racism, ethnic strife and xenophobia and staring us in the face is the looming catastrophe of climate change and ecological degradation signaled by tsunamis, cyclones and hurricanes. (found at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2008/wha61/desmond_mpilo_tutu_speech/en/index.html)
• Negotiations happen not between friends but between enemies. And a surprising thing does seem to take place, at least it did in South Africa. Enemies begin to find that they can actually become friends, or at least collaborators for the common good. They come together and then actually they ask themselves, “Why did we take so long to get to this point? Why did so many people have to die?” Of course, you must have leaders who are willing to take risks and not just seek to satisfy the often-extreme feelings of their constituencies. They have to lead by leading and be ready to compromise, to accommodate, and not to be intransigent, not to assert that they have a bottom line. Intransigence and ultimatums only lead to more death. (found at http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/2004/04/Desmond-Tutus-Recipe-For-Peace.aspx?p=2)
  

+ TruthDig offers "One Day We’ll All Be Terrorists" by Chris Hedges. 

We all need to be concerned about the treatment of American citizen Syed Fahad Hashmi. 

Excerpt: "'My brother was an activist,' Hashmi’s brother, Faisal, told me by phone from his home in Queens. 'He spoke out on Muslim issues, especially those dealing with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His arrest and torture have nothing to do with providing ponchos and socks to al-Qaida, as has been charged, but the manipulation of the law to suppress activists and scare the Muslim American community. My brother is an example. His treatment is meant to show Muslims what will happen to them if they speak about the plight of Muslims.'"

+ Common Dreams offers "Six Things to Do in 2010" by Jim Hightower.

+ Naming His Grace offers "Islam's connection to Christianity versus Judaism's connection" by Viola Larson.  I continue to be  involved in the discussion responding to this post.  "Reformed Pastor" thinks Karen Armstrong is not a scholar.  Scroll down to the 27th comment and see my response.  Excerpt:

I rarely (maybe never) find anybody without an agenda. Yes, Karen Armstrong has an agenda. Currently she is focused on Compassion. I like that agenda a lot.

I see scholarship and getting degrees as two very different things. I think Karen Armstrong has easily won global recognition as a competent and challenging scholar.

Thinking about agendas, I wonder what makes us "Conservative" or "Liberal" or "Moderate" etc. I know I had some very negative experiences with a certain style of Christianity usually labeled "Conservative" as a child and as a young adult. And I had some very positive experiences with a style of Christianity usually labeled "Liberal." I wonder if that is the main reason for most of us to identify with an "agenda" as we become adults. I don't know.

Maybe my INFP personality type makes me inclined to being a "Liberal." It's probably a combination of things.